Rise and Shine: The Art of a Traditional Colombian Breakfast

For Colombians, breakfast is a crucially important meal of the day, and therefore, they put great care and attention into it. There are many delicious breakfast dishes you can find in Colombian cuisine that will surely appeal to your taste buds. Take a look at the list below to discover some of the traditional Colombian breakfast dishes you should taste at least once at Mecatos Bakery and Cafe 10151 W. Colonial Dr. Ocoee, FL 34761

Rise and Shine The Art of a Traditional Colombian Breakfast

1. Arepas

Arepas is a national favorite, which is loosely translated as the corn cakes. This dish is made from white or yellow ground corn, although the way it’s prepared can differ by region; from crispy to fried, to soft and cheesy to sweet.

Within a coffee zone, people prefer flat, thin, and crunchy arepas, smothered in butter along with some cheese on the side. While arepas from a central Andean region tend to be sweet or topped or stuffed with cheese, ham, eggs, chicharrón (fried pork rind), chicken, or beef.

As for the Caribbean coast, arepas there are chubby and resemble a hamburger patty. They contain a lot of salted cheese or are deep-fried and greasy with the cooked egg inside. Mecatos is the best place to taste arepas.

2. Aguapanela and Queso Fresco

This dish is a mug of delicious steaming agua panela along with a large piece of queso fresco (fresh, soft white cheese). Aguapanela is essentially a sweet drink that is made from unrefined sugarcane juice. The warmth of it can depend on the altitude: refreshing and icy along the coast, but soothing and hot in the mountains.

For a heartier breakfast, locals often combine aguapanela with huevos pericos which are eggs scrambled with onions and tomatoes along with a bollo, almojábana or arepa, depending on the region.

Bollos, otherwise referred to as envuelto de maíz or wrapped corn, are ground maize parcels mixed with cheese which are enclosed in the leaves and boiled.

3. Changua

Although the indigenous tribes that used to roam the central Andes have disappeared, they still managed to leave some of their culinary traditions behind and Changua is one of them. This dish is a comforting, appetizing soup that is made with poached eggs, green onions, and milk. It is easy on the stomach and also suitable for vegetarians.

Each recipe is a little bit different, but the majority of them come with a garnish of coriander as well as pieces of crusty, usually stale, bread grated or plonked into a milky broth. It is usually enjoyed with almojábanas, which are cheesy bread rolls religiously eaten in the regions of Cundinamarca and Boyacá.

Made with eggs, corn flour, and cuajada (white cheese that is made from unpasteurized milk), these crispy pastries can be a perfect match to the milk soup mentioned above.

Final Thoughts

For gourmets and food lovers all over the world, Colombian cuisine offers a rich variety of breakfast dishes (and so much more) they can try out at Mecatos which means that no matter what kind of food you prefer, you are sure to find something that perfectly fits your taste.

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